Son Heung-min lifts UEFA trophy amid Tottenham's worst Premier League season

Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) lifted the championship trophy once again, savoring his first career title.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a 1-4 comeback loss against Brighton & Hove Albion in the final match of the 38th round of the 2024-2025 Premier League season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the 26th (Korea time).

As a result, Tottenham's final record for the season is 11 wins, 5 draws, 22 losses, 38 points, and a goal difference of -1 (64 goals scored, 65 goals conceded). Tottenham finished the season in 17th place in the Premier League, marking the worst performance in the club's history. The previous lowest record was 15th place in the 1993-1994 season.

They also set a new record for the most losses in a single season. Going back even before the establishment of the Premier League in 1992, the last time a team recorded 20 losses in a 38-match format was in the 1912-1913 season, but this time, they added two more losses. Twenty-two losses ties the record for the most losses in a season in the club's history.

Tottenham continued to struggle until the end, increasing speculation about the dismissal of manager Ange Postecoglou. Although they broke a 17-year trophy drought by winning the UEFA Europa League (UEL), the team's struggles in the league are so severe that the likelihood of parting ways at the end of the season is increasing. Disappointed fans booed when chairman Daniel Levy appeared on screen.

On the day, Tottenham used a 4-3-3 formation. Matheus Vignato, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson, Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Archie Gray, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Pedro Porro, and Guglielmo Vicario started. Captain Son Heung-min and vice-captain Cristian Romero, who have not fully recovered from injuries, were left out of the lineup and cheered on their teammates in civilian clothing.

Ultimately, Son Heung-min finished this season with a record of 7 goals and 9 assists. By missing the final match, he could not continue his significant record of double-digit goals for nine consecutive years. He ended the eight-year streak of double-digit goals since scoring 4 in the 2015-2016 season.

Tottenham started on a positive note in a festive atmosphere. In the 17th minute of the first half, Vignato earned a penalty kick, and Solanke converted it accurately, scoring his 9th goal of the league.

Tottenham couldn't extend their lead. In the 38th minute of the first half, Vignato faced the goalkeeper one-on-one in a counterattack opportunity. However, Vignato's left-footed shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, wasting a golden opportunity. The first half ended with Tottenham leading 1-0.

The second half was the opposite. Tottenham was shaken, conceding an equalizer just six minutes into the second half. In a chaotic situation from a corner kick, the ball slipped, and Jack Hinchcliffe calmly finished to make it 1-1.

Hinchcliffe scored a brace. This time it was from a corner kick. In the 20th minute of the second half, the ball deflected off a Tottenham defender and headed towards the goal, and Hinchcliffe finished it deftly with a backheel to score the comeback goal.

After conceding, Tottenham brought on Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, and Richarlison to seek a reversal. However, in the 43rd minute of the second half, they conceded another goal from a penalty kick taken by Matt O'Reilly, and in additional time, they conceded again from a stunning long-range shot by Diego Gomes, collapsing completely.

Postecoglou's expression also hardened. The home fans could not hide their sighs at the worst performance record in the league. For Tottenham, it was a relief that the relegation of promoted teams Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton was confirmed early.

Nevertheless, the Tottenham squad enjoyed the championship celebration again after the match. Captain Son Heung-min was the first to come out onto the pitch holding the UEL trophy amidst applause from club legends. Members who had won the UEFA Cup, the predecessor of UEL, in the 1983-1984 season personally presented a 'Guard of Honor' to younger players.

Son Heung-min, who had already celebrated with the trophy shortly after winning and enjoyed a victory parade in London, still did not let go of the trophy that day. The UEL trophy weighs a remarkable 15 kg, making it the heaviest among trophies governed by UEFA. Nevertheless, it posed no problem for Son Heung-min, who finally achieved his first career title.

Son Heung-min greeted fans while receiving congratulations from legendary Tottenham predecessors such as Steve Perryman, Martin Chivers, and Osvaldo Ardiles. Only after fully enjoying the joy of victory with the crowd did he hand the trophy over to vice-captain James Maddison. Tottenham also posted a video of Son Heung-min happily gazing at the trophy, captioning it as "true legend."

Meanwhile, it seems that Son Heung-min will continue his journey with Tottenham, achieving accomplishments that Harry Kane could not. There have been claims that he might choose a beautiful farewell at the end of this season, but Peter O’Rourke of 'Football Insider' said, "Tottenham will not sell Son Heung-min. They determine that his experience is needed as they prepare to return to the UEFA Champions League stage."

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